Tri-towns FC, Piedmont, WV

[brucobuff]

Why demos? $$$ because new fire trucks aren't cheap and as you have seen, vfds in Mineral Co. (and elsewhere) have to scramble for a long time to get new rigs.
I have wondered why Keyser did not just go and get a couple of used ALF Centuries and rehabed them to maintain the ALL-ALF tradition. IMO, a couple rehabed ALFS would probably be more reliable and cost-effective than the KMEs...
Piedmont's 74 Ford is a noteworthy apparatus, as this was the 1st Pierce in Mineral County, and AFAIK the 3rd in service in Allegany-Garrett-Mineral Counties. In the early 1970's, Pierce was just becoming known in the Mid-Atlantic, I still have some of their ads from that time.

[Engine33Truck]

Yes, my friend, I've wondered the same thing.  I've grown up believing that American LaFrance is the best of the best. 

The story I heard with the ladder truck (I only heard this a couple of days ago) is that the city wouldn't pay for a custom rig, and put a price cap that would only allow for a new 75ft (why they didn't go with a used rig beats the heck outta me  ) and the only American LaFrance 75ft had a 700 gallon tank and almost no compartment space.  Beause of 500 Carscadon Ln (aka "the high rise") and the Keyser House, we really needed a 100-110ft.  Still as to why we didn't go with a used one, I don't know.  I also don't understand why we didn't look at E-One, Pierce, Seagrave or many others, from what I heard the apparatus committee had basically already decided on the KME.  The same members formed the committee that bought the Squad, so go figure.  They seem to make up the few that prefer KME over American LaFrance, though a number of them and a couple of others go with KME because they blame American LaFrance (though the Chief Engineer and a few others seem to blame Freighliner like myself) for 33-13.  Its mainly the old guard and the younger guys whos father was an old guard member (like the Zacot family who have been in the Keyser fire service since the Community bucket brigade formed in 1872) or grew up around the old guard that would rather American LaFrance.  The Captain blames ALF for 13, and I've been talking to him for a while about giving ALF another try (at least try one on loan before we buy a custom one) if he's still captain when we buy another rig.

[Engine33Truck]

Just to let everyone know, Engine 24-13 is being replaced with Engine/Air 24-13, a 2011 Rosenbauer on a Spartan chassis (I believe it's a Gladiator but I'm not sure).  She's being build at the SoDak plant, will be released there around the 23rd of this month to have some minor finishing touches done to her.  I'm guessing she'll be in station around the second week of February, maybe a tad sooner.  Pictures are all over facebook.